By Lori EhdeHe bears the physical scars of combat, but Marine Lance Cpl. Kevin Miller is at home now in Luverne, and he says he’s fine.Son of Steve and Kari Schultz, Kevin just completed a dangerous tour of duty in Iraq, where he was injured by enemy fire in the war-torn city of Falluja.For his parents, Kevin’s arrival home represented permission to finally exhale.Miraculous survivalAK-47 bullets pierced Kevin’s right arm and grenade shrapnel peppered his left leg during a Nov. 27 ambush that he miraculously survived."Looking back on that whole incident, I really did witness a miracle," Kevin said. "My angels were there, blocking the bullets."Kevin is a member of Bravo Company of the First Battalion, Eighth Marines, which saw some of the worst infantry fighting so far in the war.He was injured in a follow-up mission after more than a week of heavy combat in the streets of Falluja. Kevin was the lead Marine in his unit, kicking in doors one house at a time. In one of the houses, Kevin’s group was ambushed. When he kicked in a door, he found himself face-to-face with an enemy AK-47 which started spraying ammunition.Kevin’s flak jacket absorbed most of the hits, but one bullet found his right arm and he dropped his weapon to the floor.His friend, Lance Cpl. Joshua Lucero, lay dead in the middle of the room while Kevin fled to a small bathroom near an exit. Part of the miracle, Kevin said, is that when a grenade detonated nearby, it blew an aluminum door off the wall, allowing him to escape from the house alive.Out of harm’s wayKevin’s injuries meant he’d spend the rest of his active duty recuperating in a military hospital, which relieved his parents."I’m just so elated, I can’t even describe it," Kari told the Star Herald in December. "I know for a fact that he’s safe and well-cared for. … For the first time we’re certain of something."On the morning of Jan. 26, the day that they were to leave for North Carolina for Kevin’s unit’s homecoming, a news flash came on CNN that 31 Marines were killed in a transport helicopter crash in the area of Iraq where he would have been leaving that day. "I could feel the blood just leave my face," Steve said. "Here we were packing for a trip to pick him up, and we didn’t know if he was going to be there." Steve said that day was like many others in the past several months. "I would read the online papers in the morning and some days there would be headlines that Marines were killed," Steve said. "I would then tab down slowly, fearfully, hoping that there was information to indicate that it did not involve Kevin’s unit."As it turned out, Kevin’s unit arrived safely and on time at Camp Lejeune, N.C., on Jan. 30.Seeing Kevin that day was overwhelming in itself, but while searching for him in the crowd, Steve looked around in the predawn darkness and noticed all the other heart-wrenching reunions happening at once."It was almost surreal," he said. "People were crying, some screaming hysterically, and others were holding each other silently. … Some were seeing their babies for the first time."‘Death doesn’t really bother me anymore’Kevin arrived back in Luverne last week and is adjusting to civilian life.In the quiet comforts of home, the battlefields of Iraq are half a world away, but the not-so-distant memories still occupy his mind.Just a few short months ago, Kevin witnessed death and dismemberment on a regular basis. "I lost lots of friends over there," he said. "I’ll miss them."Kevin knows his long-term emotional health could be affected by the traumatic images of war, but he said he’s found a way to cope."Death doesn’t really bother me anymore. It’s going to happen to everyone eventually," he said. "I can remember thinking when I was over there that no matter what happens, you win. If you come back alive, you can use those experiences to live a better life."If you’re wounded, you get out of Falluja, which is what everybody wanted — to chill out in a military hospital."If you die, that’s better than what we were going through. The ones who died, they had it the best. They’re in a better place."… That’s what I told myself in my head to help me deal with it."Life with a purposeKevin said he not only views death differently, he views his purpose in life from a new perspective."All you can do is use this life in preparation for eternity," he said."It was a miracle that I survived that day, so I figure God has some purpose for my life."Kevin said he doesn’t know what that means long-term, but his plans for civilian life include moving to southern California this fall to get a degree in nursing.Kevin will receive a Purple Heart for the injuries he incurred while serving his country, but he said the intangible effects of war are more meaningful."I think the things I experienced in Iraq will help me later in life," Kevin said. "Sometimes when you’re down and out, God uses those times to strengthen you."If I’m a nurse helping other people who have experienced something traumatic or witnessed something terrible, I use my own experiences to help them."In the short-term, though, Kevin said his military experiences have simply taught him to appreciate simple freedoms."I’m enjoying lots of stuff I took for granted before — small stuff, like talking in the kitchen to Mom while she’s cooking or watching Seinfeld with Dad."Kevin’s tour in Iraq is complete, but he returns to Camp Lejeune Feb. 25 to fill out his remaining six-months of active duty. He still has a three-year inactive commitment remaining with the Marines.